


For the Love of A Daughter

by SupremeFamilyFan



Category: Agents of SHIELD - Fandom, Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), Fifty Shades of Grey - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Finding a long lost daughter, Hurt/Comfort, Reunion, Romance, reconnecting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:08:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24744349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupremeFamilyFan/pseuds/SupremeFamilyFan
Summary: Christian Grey finds out that he has a daughter with one of his former subs that he hadn't previously known about.  When he is reunited with her, he finds her fighting for her life after being shot twice in the abdomen at point-blank range and learns that she is training to be a SHIELD agent.
Relationships: Christian Grey/Anastasia Steele, Christian Grey/Jiaying, Jemma Simmon/Leo Fitz, Phil Coulson/Skye | Daisy Johnson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	1. Ghosts of the Past

* * *

**For the Love of a Daughter**

* * *

**Disclaimer:**  
As usual, I own nothing. Except for Ericka Scott.

 **Rating:**  
M (just to be safe because I have no idea where I'm going with any of my stories and I hate changing the rating as a I go)

 **Genre:**  
Family | Hurt/Comfort | Angst | Drama | Romance | Action/Adventure

 **Pairings:**  
[past] Christian Grey/Jiaying | Christian Grey/Anastasia Steele | Phil Coulson/Daisy Johnson

 **Lyrics Used:**  
Boyce Avenue - "When the Lights Die" | Boys Like Girls - "The Shot Heard 'Round the World"

* * *

Ghosts of the Past

* * *

_This time | When the lights die | And there's nothing left to say | That's when you'll need me | This time | When the lights die | And, there's no one left to blame | That's when you'll need me_

* * *

**_26 Years Ago_ **

* * *

"What's up, Taylor?" Agent Ericka Scott greeted, surprised to see her old friend's name pop up on her phone. "Long time no hear." She grinned.

"Yeah, it's good to talk to you, too, Ericka." Taylor smiled. It was always good to talk to Ericka. He felt the old, familiar spike in his heart rate the moment she answered the phone. He definitely missed talking to her as much as he had when they had worked together, but - as grateful as he was for the opportunity to talk to her, agan - he only wished it could be for more pleasure than business. With a light sigh he added "I just wish it could a purely social call." Taylor added, regretfully.

"You and me both." Ericka sighed, leaning back in her office chair. She missed Taylor and she missed working with him. It was always good to hear his voice, even if it was just business. "Lay it on me, Taylor." She added, getting back to business. "What can I do ya for?"

"Well…" Taylor drawled, gathering his paperwork. "Mr. Grey received an interesting phone call, earlier, today." He began cryptically.

"Taylor, we all know you tend to have a flair for the dramatic." Ericka chastised, playfully. "But, you know how busy they keep us here, at SHIELD." Ericka grinned. "Would you mind, very much, just skipping ahead to the part where you explain how this is any of SHIELD's business?" She asked, with an air of playful exasperation.

"The call was from a woman by the name of Jiaying." Taylor explained, grinning at Ericka's classic, all-business approach. _She and Mr. Grey would get along, great._ He thought to himself, sarcastically.

"Are you fucking _kidding_ me, Taylor?!" Ericka snapped to attention at the mention of the name 'Jiaying'. All playfulness was gone from her voice in the blink of any eye. That, alone, was enough to raise several red flags in Taylor's mind.

"I take it you know her?" Taylor asked, curiously.

"What the hell did she want?" Ericka demand.

"His help." Was the simple answer. "She wanted him to help her find her daughter." There was a tense delay before Taylor went on to elaborate. "Said the child was Mr. Grey's daughter, as well."

"Shit." Ericka cursed, quietly. "You listen to me, Taylor!" The SHIELD agent's tone clearly communicated that her next words were **not** to be taken, lightly. "You know I'm not at liberty to give you any details." She warned. And, didn't Taylor know that, all too well. He remembered how fond SHIELD was of their secrets. "But, this shit is serious! That bitch is bad news!" She warned, urgently.

"How dangerous?" Taylor asked. He knew - when Ericka said someone was 'bad news', like that - what she really meant was that they were dangerous. And, he knew that she couldn't give him any specifics. But, he needed to know as much as he possibly could in order to be able to do his job and protect his boss.

"Dangerous enough." Ericka hissed. "You know better than to press me for details." The SHIELD agent added, impatiently. "Just keep her the _fuck_ away from your boss." She warned, looking up to see a junior agent standing in front of her desk.

"Understood." Taylor knew when to admit defeat. "But, what about the child?" Taylor was too good of a man to just abandon an innocent child without a second's thought. Especially if that child was missing.

"If you search for that child - and you find her - you might as well paint a big-ass fucking bullseye on your boss's back!" Ericka warned, clearly getting agitated. "You and your boss are better off staying out of it. If the child isn't dead, already, she will be long before you could ever find her!" She hated lying to a friend - Taylor more so than any others. But, she would say whatever she had to in order to protect him and to keep him safe from certain death.

"Mr. Grey won't like that." Taylor replied, dreadfully, hoping to get something to give to his boss.

"I don't give a fuck _what_ Mr. Grey ' _likes_ '." Ericka bit out, sarcastically. "If he's got a problem with me trying to keep his ass alive, I'll drop trou and he can kiss mine!" Taylor could tell that the SHIELD agent was getting increasingly agitated by the way that her natural southern drawl was coming out.

"I'll be sure to let him know that." Taylor replied. He knew this was a serious subject matter, but, he couldn't resist grinning at Ericka's previous response. He always enjoyed seeing his old friend get all worked up.

"You do that, Taylor." Ericka growled, as she slowly began to cool off. "I gotta go." She added, regretfully. She hated letting Taylor go, but, she knew she needed to get back to work and deal with the other agent waiting in front of her desk.

"All right." Taylor replied, resigned. He hated having to say goodbye to his dear friend. But, he had an idea of how busy she must be and knew she most likely needed to get back to work. "Don't be a stranger, Ericka." He smiled.

"You, too, Taylor." Ericka smiled as she ended the call. Sighing heavily, she turned her attention to the agent standing before her desk. "How can I help you, Agent Lumley?" She asked, tiredly.

"It's about the oh-eight-four we brought back from China." Agent Lumley began, cautiously.

"What about it?" Ericka asked, dreading the answer.

"Agent Avery is dead." Lumley deadpanned. Ericka just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "As is the rest of the team. I was the only one that survived the transport to bring the oh-eight-four in." There was a tense pause before Lumley spoke again. "They were all executed. I barely managed to escape with the oh-eight-four."

"Fuck." Ericka sighed, heavily.

"What should we do?" Lumley asked. Ericka always hated this part of being the lead agent. It may have been her first assignment to be in charge of, but, it was enough for her to know that she hated these kinds of decisions. She was seriously beginning to wish that she was still a rookie agent.

After weighing her options, she sighed as she replied. "Take her to the lab. Collect everything they can use to study her - DNA, the works." Ericka instructed the subordinate agent. "Once the lab has everything they need, take her to this place." The senior agent added, writing the name of a local orphanage on a piece of paper. "I got a friend there that owes me a favor. I'll call ahead and let them know you're coming. Tell them you're acting under strict orders of Agent Scott." She instructed, handing Lumley a minimalistic business card with her credentials on it. "They'll know what you mean." She added.

"What are you planning to do, Agent Scott?" Lumley asked, worriedly.

"That poor child was born to a monster." Ericka grumbled, recalling her the child's mother had slaughtered an entire village and was now hunting SHIELD agents. "I don't know what that bitch has planned. But, what I do know is that we need to protect that child, at all costs. What better way to protect her - "

"-than to erase her from existence." Lumley surmised, putting the pieces together.

"Precisely." Ericka replied, solemnly. "Now ... you have your orders, Agent Lumley." She added, dismissing the junior agent.

* * *

_**Present Day** _

* * *

_'Cause I found out there's no such thing as a miracle, a miracle | No, you can't hide | It's the shot heard 'round the world | Lights out, there's no such thing as a miracle, a miracle | Baby, don't cry | It's the shot heard 'round the world_

* * *

"Agent Phil Coulson." Ericka smiled as she watched her friend and colleague walk into her office. "As I live and breathe." She added, grinning, as she rose from her place behind her desk. "And, thankfully, as do you." She added, with a knowing wink, gesturing for Phil to enter the office. Phil accepted the invitation as he crossed the office to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of his friend's desk. "How can I help ya, Phil?" She asked, warmly.

Drawing a breath, Phil replied "Well, Ericka, I came to you, today, because I need your help." Phil began. "As you know, I've offered to help Skye in the search for her parents."

"That could be a treacherous journey, my friend." Ericka warned, lightly, though she was certain that Phil knew the dangers of opening Pandora's Box.

Phil just offered her a knowing look as he replied "Oh, I'm well aware of that. But, her lifelong search has led her to a single document. A document which has been heavily redacted." He went on, recounting the summary of Skye's search. "By SHIELD." He added, sharply. "And, given that Skye is a member of my team, if SHIELD felt it necessary to redact any information regarding her past, I - for one - would like to know why." He continued, pinning his friend and colleague with a pointed look. "And, while I haven't been able to get my hands on the unredacted version of that document, I _was_ able to find out who had it redacted." Phil finished, satisfied that Ericka would know where he was going with all of this.

Ericka just sighed as she sank back down into her office chair. She remained silent for a few moments before finally looking back up at Phil. "I know."

"You knew I've been trying to help her find her parents." Phil began, accusation growing clearer in his voice with every word. "Hell, I even asked you for your help! And, you never thought to mention this to me?"

"In my defense…" Ericka began, choosing her words, carefully. "…When you first came to me, I didn't know who Skye was. I only just recently figured out that my oh-eight-four from twenty six years ago was your girl."

"And, you should have come to me the moment you realized the connection!" Phil declared, his voice rising in volume. He didn't like people he knew and trusted withholding information from him.

"And say what, Phil?" Ericka added, with only mild sarcasm. "That your agent-in-training was my object of unknown origin?! That her mother was a monster that had slaughtered an entire village in China?!"

"And, what's worse…" Phil interjected. "I had to find out from Agent Lumley instead of you!"

"I am sorry about that, Phil." Ericka replied, remorsefully. "But, it were me, I wouldn't want to know-"

"It _wasn't_ you, Ericka!" Phil argued, angrily, as he leapt out of his seat, slamming his open palm on the surface of Ericka's desk. "And, it wasn't your call to make!" He growled, trying to calm himself down.

Rising from her seat, Ericka held her friend's gaze as she spoke in a calm voice. "I fucked up, Phil! Okay?! I admit that!"

Phil took a few, calming breaths as he replied "You can make it up to me by explaining why Agent Lumley believes you know who Skye's father is." He added, fighting to keep his voice level and calm.

Drawing a steadying breath, Ericka weighed her options before she spoke again. She'd already been caught in one lie. She wasn't entirely sure how many more her friendship with Phil Coulson could withstand. After another moment of contemplation, Ericka saw that Coulson was watching her with anticipation. She knew what she had to do. "When we first brought the oh-eight-four -" She began, only to be abruptly cut off.

"Skye." Phil interjected, sharply. "Her name is Skye!"

Ericka just nodded in understanding. "Of course." She conceded, gently. "When we first brought Skye back from what was left of that village in China, most of the team that had rescued her was hunted and executed. Lumley barely managed to escape with Skye." She began. She could tell that Coulson's patience was wearing thin as he waited for her to get to the point. "When Lumley first came to me to tell me about the other agents having been killed, I had been on the phone with an old friend of mine who also used to be a SHIELD agent before leaving when he received a lucrative job offer in the private sector. He works for Christian Grey, now, as he did back then. He called me because Mr. Grey received a phone call from a woman named Jiaying. Jiaying was the one who had wiped out that village. She was also Skye's mother." Ericka added, heavily.

"Her mother?" Coulson repeated, replaying the count of the story that Lumley had given him.

"Yes." Ericka replied, solemnly. "I knew how dangerous Jiaying was and when Taylor told me that she wanted Mr. Grey's help in finding her daughter, I knew I had to keep him and his boss from getting involved in anything to do with her."

"Why would she go to Christian Grey for help?" Coulson asked, his previous anger having given way to curiosity.

"Taylor told me that she claimed that Christian Grey was Skye's father." Ericka replied, bracing herself for the second round of Coulson's anger.

"You mean you've known who Skye's parents were all these years and you never thought to tell me?!" Coulson couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"To be fair, we had to do a paternity test to confirm that Mr. Grey was in fact Skye's father." Ericka began, carefully. "When Skye was first brought in, I had them collect blood samples for studying so that we could understand why she had been classified as an oh-eight-four. So, Mr. Grey provided us with a blood sample which confirmed that he was her father." The senior agent explained. "But, I knew how dangerous Jiaying was and how much danger Mr. Grey would be in if he pursued Skye. So, Taylor and I just kept telling him that we were hitting dead end after dead end. Eventually, he gave up and threw himself into his business empire." Ericka went on to explain. "Meanwhile, I had Agent Lumley use my credentials to take Skye to a local orphanage where they bounced her around the foster care system."

"You erased her from existence." Phil breathed, quietly, putting the rest of the puzzle back together. 

"To protect her and us." Ericka replied.

Phil shook his head. "You still should have told me." He argued, though admittedly, with less anger.

"I know." Ericka sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry."

"Agent Coulson?" Coulson and Ericka looked back to the entrance to her office where another agent stood. "Fury's got an assignment for you and your team. He wants to see you in his office, right away, for a briefing." The agent elaborated.

"Thank you." Coulson replied, with a tip of his head. "I'm on my way. I'll be there in a moment." He added, before turning back to Ericka.

"Look." Ericka began, cutting off what she suspected she knew was coming. "I'll tell you what … You go take care of business and, while you and your team are away, I'll put together everything I have on Skye's parents and - when y'all get back - we can present Skye with all the information and … She can decide what she wants to do with it." She offered. "Okay?"

Phil released a deep breath he hadn't even realized he'd taken. "Okay." He replied, simply. "Thank you, Ericka." He added, with just faintest ghost of a smile gracing his face, before shaking her hand as he took his leave. As Ericka watched him leave, she sank back down into her chair, releasing a heavy sigh as she ran her hands through her soft golden curls. Shaking her head clear, she set to work compiling all the information she'd promised to Coulson.


	2. I'm On My Way

* * *

**For the Love of A Daughter**

* * *

**Disclaimer:**  
Y'all know the drill.

 **Rating:**  
M

 **Genre:**  
Hurt/Comfort | Angst | Drama | Family | Action/Adventure | Romance

 **Lyrics Used:**  
Boyce Avenue - "On My Way" | Imagine Dragons - "Friction"

* * *

I'm On My Way

* * *

_I wasn't there the moment | You first learned to breathe | But, I'm on my way, on my way | I wasn't there the moment | You got off your knees | But, I'm on my way, on my way_

* * *

Agent Ericka Scott admired the scenery as she pulled up to the address she had procured for Christian Grey. The scenery was breathtaking. The trees and the lawn were lush and a vibrant green color and they seemed to flow and dance in the breeze. Driving up to the beautiful estate, Ericka gathered up her information that she had compiled on the billionaire's daughter to present to him, after putting the SUV in park. Exiting the vehicle, she approached front door as she raised her hand to knock. After a moment, she smiled, softly, when Taylor opened the door.

"Good to see ya, Stranger." Taylor greeted, with a soft smile of his own.

"Yeah, now, if only I could be here on less awkward business." Ericka smiled, nervously.

Taylor and Ericka exchanged their pleasantries as Taylor led the SHIELD agent through the halls of the home to Christian Grey's home office. Ericka looked around the architecture and décor. She had to admit that it was impressive how they managed to pay homage to the character of his tory represented by the original design of the house while seamlessly blending in modern décor and design elements. Before she knew it, Taylor snapped her out of her reverie by addressing Mr. Grey.

"Mr. Grey?" Taylor greeted, as Christian looked up at him. "Agent Ericka Scott from SHIELD is here." He added, gesturing Ericka into the room after him.

"Hello, Mr. Grey." Ericka greeted in a professional manner, transferring the folder she carried to her left hand as she approached the desk, extending her right hand for Christian to shake. "Pleasure to meet you." She added as Christian rose from his seat to shake the proffered hand. "Taylor already brought me up to speed on your situation. He explained that you are still searching for your missing daughter. She explained, opening the portfolio of information she had brought with her. "I want to open by saying that … I know where your daughter is." Ericka explained, bracing herself for whatever reaction Christian Grey may present her with.

"Where is she?!" Christian demanded, eagerly, snapping his eyes up to meet Ericka's gaze.

"Her name is Skye." Ericka began, by way of introduction. She bounced around the foster care system her entire childhood until she aged out at eighteen." The SHIELD agent began, recalling the history of Skye's life, while regretting the look that flashed over Christian's face. She knew that Christian, himself, had been a child of the foster care system.

As Ericka had been speaking, Christian had been reviewing the portfolio that she had provided for him. Hearing that his daughter had bounced around the foster care system immediately caught his attention as he related with his own experience with the foster care system. "Why?!" He asked, sharply. "Why did she bounce around so much?!"

Watching Christian look up at her with a haunting look in his eyes, Ericka instantly hated herself for what she knew she now had to tell the billionaire. Yes, she could lie and dance around the truth. But, she had already thought this through on the drive over. She had already lied enough. Besides, Jiaying had dropped off of the map long ago and taken her threat with her. Sinking down into the chair in front of Christian's desk so that she could get on his eye level, she explained "It was for her own protection as well as SHIELD's." She began, sighing heavily. Seeing the lost look in Christian's eyes, the SHIELD agent went on to explain. "Twenty-six years ago - when Jiaying came to you - Taylor told me that she had asked for your help in searching for daughter…" Ericka paused to draw a steadying breath. "When Taylor first came to me and explained that Jiaying had told you that her missing daughter was also _your_ daughter, Jiaying had just decimated an entire village in China, single-handedly. Knowing how dangerous Jiaying was, that was why SHIELD put Skye into the foster care system. Because Jiaying had started killing our agents in her search for her daughter. In order to protect her and us, we knew we had to erase Skye from existence. And, knowing how dangerous Jiaying was, was also the exact same reason why I knew I could not - in good conscience - let you involve yourself in looking for Skye. So, to protect Skye and our agents, SHIELD put her into the foster care system with specific orders for them to shuffle her around to a new family every month or so. … To make it as difficult as possible for Jiaying to ever find her."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Christian interjected, holding his hands up to stop Ericka from speaking any further. Slamming his open palms on the surface of the desk, Christian leapt from his seat to lean over the desk and loom over the SHIELD agent before him. "You mean to tell me … That you've known where my daughter was for **twenty-six _years_** … And, you _never_ **once** thought to tell me?!" The billionaire growled.

Taylor was impressed. A lesser agent would have crumpled under Christian's anger and scrutiny. But, Ericka was staying strong and held her head up high. _Her strength always was one of her most attractive qualities._ He mused, watching the exchange with an impassive countenance and arms crossed over his chest.

"Mr. Grey." Ericka spoke with a calm sense of confidence. "I am not a parent myself and I make no pretense of understanding how you're feeling in this moment." She admitted, truthfully. "I can, however, understand _why_ you are angry with me and you are perfectly justified in that reaction." The SHIELD agent conceded. "However, in all fairness, I did not know that the child we put into the foster care system was - in fact - your daughter, at first. That revelation came, later. After she had already been placed into the system." She elaborated, calmly.

Christian was still hot under the collar. He could not believe that not only had his daughter been stolen, she had also - apparently - been placed into the foster care system with no knowledge of who her family was or that her father was even searching for her. Drawing a deep, steadying breath, he slowly lowered himself back down into his chair.

Ericka remained calm and centered as she began to speak. "Shortly after my team brought Skye in ... Our agents started being hunted and executed." She began. "One of my subordinate agents informed me that the rest of the teams was dead. As the lead agent, it was my job to make sure nobody else got hurt. That includes Skye." The SHIELD agent continued on, pausing as another woman joined them, in the office.

"Christian?" The woman addressed Christian, curiously. "What's going on in here?" She asked, joining Christian behind the desk before turning her attention to Ericka. "Who are you?" She asked, curiously.

"Agent Ericka Scott." Ericka began, rising from her seat and extending her hand to the woman. "Of SHIELD." She introduced herself.

"This is my wife, Anastasia." Christian interjected, gesturing toward the woman who had just joined them. "Agent Scott knows where my daughter is." He added, turning his attention to his wife.

Anastasia looked back to Ericka from looking at Christian as she spoke again. "You mean the daughter you've been looking for all these years?!" She asked, looking at Ericka in awe.

"Yes." Christian and Ericka both confirmed, in unison. They shared a silent look for a moment before Christian gestured for Ericka to continue.

"As I was explaining to your husband, twenty-five years ago - when Jiaying first approached your husband about helping her find their missing daughter - SHIELD had been heading up an investigation into reports that we had received about an oh-eight-four in a remote village in China." Ericka began, blending a recap of the previous information she had been relaying with the new information.

"I'm-I'm sorry." Ana interrupted, apologetically. "But, um ... What's an oh-eight-four, exactly?" She asked, curiously.

"Oh-eight-four is SHIELD's code designation for an object of unknown origins." Ericka replied, lowering herself back down into her chair before continuing. "When my team arrived, all hell had broken loose. The village had been completely decimated. All of the people in the village had been slaughtered." 

"Jesus Christ!" Anastasia exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand in shock at the mental image Ericka's words painted.

Ericka simply acknowledged Anastasia's comment with an empathetic nod. "My sentiments, exactly." She muttered before getting back to the matter she had previously been discussing. "My agents managed to locate an infant who we late confirmed to be your daughter. They initially thought that she was dead, too." She recounted, grimly. "But, it turns out ... She was just asleep in a dead man's arms." The SHIELD agent sighed. Even after all these ears, it still was not an easy story to tell. "Anyway, shortly after we brought her back to the states, my team found themselves being hunted and executed. When my team was down to just one subordinate agent and myself, I made an executive decision to protect both us and her." Ericka elaborated, before Christian interjected.

"She took it upon herself to put my daughter into the foster care system." Christian grumbled, glaring at Ericka, darkly. 

"Is that true?" Ana asked, looking at Ericka incredulously.

"In my defense ... when I made that call, her paternity had not, yet, been conclusively determined." Ericka replied, defensively.

"So, what?" Anastasia asked, sarcastically. "You couldn't wait until you could confirm that Christian was her father before just throwing her into foster care?"

"It wasn't that simple." Ericka argued. "First of all, DNA testing - back then - was nowhere near what it is today. It would have taken time to get the results back. Time that we just did not have!" The SHIELD agent sighed. "Jiaying was the one responsible for destroying that village. She also killed my agents." The darkness that flashed across Ericka's face chilled the entire room by five degrees. Even Taylor looked shaken by it. "Now, I don't take that shit, lightly. But, it was more than that. I know - if I handed Skye over to you, you would have been dead before you even made it home." Anastasia looked visibly shaken by that thought. "I did what I did to protect everybody involved!"

"Okay." Anastasia drawled, thoughtfully, as she looked as though she were working a puzzle. "I get that." She acknowledged. "But, if that was all it was ... That was twenty-five years ago! Why keep her hidden all this time?!"

"Because Jiaying made it clear that she wasn't going anywhere any time soon." Ericka replied. "So, when we put her into the system, we left them with strict orders to continually shuffle her around to a new family every month or two. We also made sure they kept her location classified even from us." The SHIELD agent elaborated. "The fewer people that knew her location, the fewer targets there would be." Everyone around her shuddered at the agent's blunt tone. "By the time the threat had been eliminated, we had lost track of her." She admitted, lamely.

"So, you never got to confirm that she was Christian's daughter?" Anastasia asked, reluctantly.

"Well, we did collect a DNA sample before putting her into the system." Ericka began. "We did compare it to the sample your husband provided." 

"And?" Christian prompted, nervously, mentally cursing the minor tremble in his voice.

Sighing heavily, Ericka responded "She _is_ your daughter." She confirmed, solemnly.

There was a tense silence that weighed heavily on the room for several moments as everyone took in the revelation. Finally, Christian spoke. "Where is she?!" He breathed, in a rough, gruff voice. "Where is my daughter?!"

* * *

_Get down with the victim | We both know you need them | You're stuck in the middle | Of all irrelevance | And your heart is beatin' | 'Cause you know that you gotta | Get out of the middle | And rise to the top now_

* * *

Skye walked through a basement doorway. In the room, her eyes were immediately drawn to something that almost looked aking to a hightech coffin. Entering the room, she slowly approached the device. She noted that it hada clear glass viewing window. Peering through the glass, a small gasp escaped her lips as she took in the sight of a familiar man who lay unconscious inside the ... whatever the hell she was looking at. "Mike." She gasped, quietly.

"Hello." A familiar voice rang out from behind Skye, snapping her attention as she whirled around a aimed the ICER pistol with which Fitz had provided her. However, one of Quinn's men - a man she later recognized as Mancini: Quinn's head of security - swiftly overpowered her with a gun in her face. She grunted as Mancini pinned her against the strange machine behind her. "Skye." Quinn purred. "The Clairvoyant told me to expect you." He continued on, as Mancini sotle Skye's ICER, aiming it right back at her.

Mancini spoke up. "Signor Quinn, this is the same gun as the specs you gave us." He informed his boss, through a thick Italian accent.

"Yeah." Quinn purred, again. "You guys have been looking at us ... " He began, getting right up in Skye's face. "While we've been looking at you." He taunted, tapping the side of the aforementioned CIER. "And, we found a handful of particularly interesting things." Quinn taunted as Mancini roughly released his grip on her though he still held her at gunpoint. Meanwhile, Quinn grunted as he opened the end of the machine. Skye watched in horror as Quinn pulled out the bed upon which Mike lay.

Once the bed was fully extended, Mike woke up and looked around as he rose to a sitting position. "Mike." Skye spoke, helplessly. "Oh God." She breathed as Mike looked up at her in confused caution. "You're alive." She breathed in awe. "When last she'd seen him, she swore she'd seen him die in the explosion. Now, here he was. looking at her through a face covered in burn scars. He was missing a leg, but, he was alive.

"That's right. You two know each other." Quinn interjected, as though suddenly remembering something relative to their conversation. "Hey!" He called, sharply, clapping Mike, harshly, on the shoulder. "Do you know who I am?" He asked, curtly. Mike just nodded, mutely, as Quinn continued on. "And, you have your orders?" which Mike confirmed with another silent nod. "Good." Quinn replied. "Because I have purchase something that's gonna help you complete them." He added, taking the ICER from Mancini who stepped out of the room.

"Orders?" Skye asked. "Mike." She went, turning her focus to Mike. "What is happening?" She asked, stepping closer to her friend. "Mike?" Skye repeated, attempting to elicit any sort of reaction out of her friend.

Meanwhile, in the background, Mancini had returned with Quinn's purchase. Opening the case, he pulled out what appeared to be a high-tech-looking metal cuff. Without a word, Mancini approached Mike before bending over to slide the cuff on to the end of the amputated limb. With a few jerks and twists and some jerking, the cuff was secured. Everyone in the room watched as Mancini ordered Mike to stand. "Stand, please."

Once Mike rose to a standing position, Skye, Mancini and Quinn all watched as Mancini turned back to the case. As Mancini pressed a few buttons, there were a few beeps as they all turned their attention back to Mike. Suddenly, Mike startled them all with a sudden, pained, cry as the cuff seemed to activate. Skye gasped as she watched in horror. The cuff seemed to open up as miniature panels spread out and covered every inch of exposed skin. More pained groans could be heard as the machine attached itself and opened up and extended to the floor. Mike could be heard panting breathlessly as the process completed. Skye stared at the robotic, mechanical, prosthetic limb.

"Mancini, thank you." Quinn was the first to break the silence. "You will be receiving your payment shortly." He added, returning the ICER to Mancini, who took his leave. " _That_ is the best money can buy, my friend." The billionaire declared with a sickening sense of pride as he inspected his purchase. Righting his posture, he went on to say. "Every piece of technology in you is top-of-the-line." He declared, proudly, waving his hands. "I just wonder ... if I'm getting my money's worth." The billionaire questioned, cryptically. "I know you get your orders from The Clairvoyant so that means you're not allowed to hurt me, right?!"

"No." Was the only response Mike gave. Skye just watched the exchange in silent horror. 

"What if I tried to hurt you?" Quinn asked, carefully, as he pulled out a gun; cocking it. "Would you stop me?" He challenged.

"No." Mike replied, stoically, "I would not."

"Mike." Skye chanced, carefully. "Listen ... I do _not_ know what they're doing to you." She began as Mike turned his attention on her. "But, we have to get out of here. Now." 

"And..." Quinn drawled, cockily, as Mike's attention returned to him. "If wanted you to - to hurt her ..." He wondered as if it were a simple, daily errand, as he offered Mike the gun. " ... You know, kill ... Will you?" Quinn asked. "I mean what would hurt Coulson more than to lose the woman that he loves?"

Skye was paralyzed by the shock of Quinn's statement. Coulson loves her. She knew there were more pressing issues to be dealt with at the moment. But, she just couldn't shake the questions in her mind. Was it true? Did Coulson really love her? If so, it had to be as a daughter. Shaking her head, she told herself that now was _not_ the time to be getting her hopes up. She could worry about the potential reciprocation of her feelings for the older man.

Mike just stared at Skye in silence. He hated the whole situation. Skye and Coulson were friends of his. Hell, Coulson had even sacrificed himself to save Mike's son. Skye had looked after his son when he couldn't. He had no desire to hurt either of them. But, he had his orders. And, he knew the consequences of disobeying those orders. More importantly, he knew who would be the one to suffer those consequences. "Those aren't my orders." He growled, glaring at Quinn. Quinn couldn't deny the chill that passed through him, under Mike's cold hard stare as the gun was pressed against his chest. "She's not who I'm supposed to kill." With that, Mike turned to stalk out of the room.

"Wait." Skye knew she had to stop him. "Wait." She repeated, moving to follow him. She didn't know how, but, she knew shad to get him out of there, "Wait!" Skye tried and failed a third time as Mike disappeared through the open door. Skye stopped short of the door as she whirled around to face Quinn. "What the hell did you do to him?!" She growled, demandingly, taking a couple of steps toward Quinn. However, the only answer she received was a gunshot. Shock washed over her face as she drew a stuttering breath while her hand came up to touch the fresh wound in her abdomen.

Without a word, Quinn kept his weapon aimed at Skye as he crossed the room to stand directly in front of her. As she started to collapse, Quinn gathered her into his embrace, holding her close and upright with his free hand while the other pressed the gun into her abdomen. "Shh, shh." He soothed, in her ear, firing a second shot as she gasped over his shoulder. He continued to soothe her as he gently lowered her to the floor. "I'm sorry." Quinn muttered, crouching next to her gasping, bleeding form. Pulling a cloth out of his inner jacket pocket, he wiped down the gun. "I have my orders, too." He added, leaving the pistol on the floor as he rose to his feet and left Skye bleeding and gasping and writhing, helplessly, on the floor.

* * *

_Lay down | And come alive in all you've found | All you're meant to be | And for now | Wait until the morning light | And close our eyes to see | Just close your eyes to see_

* * *

"I came here with the intention of offering to take you to her, Mr. Grey." Ericka replied, with a soft warm smile. 

Christian stared at the SHIELD agent in shock. His wife, Ana, was the first to speak. Taking in her husband's awestruck countenance, she gently rubbed his shoulders as she asked "Do you want me to come with you?"

Finally, Christian snapped out of his daze as he turned to his wife. "No." He replied. "No, I'll be fine." The billionaire added, attempting to persuade his wife. "Besides, you should probably stay here with the kids." 

"You know Mrs. Jones is always happy to watch them." Anastasia countered, gently.

"Ana, please." Christian replied, holding up a hand to silence his wife's arguments. "I appreciate your support. Really, I do." He continued. "But, I just ... " Christian paused, searching for the right words. "I feel like ... I feel like this is something I need to do, alone." He sighed. "Besides...I'd like to have a chance to get to know my daughter, myself, before introducing her to everyone else."

Anastasia could understand her husband's position on the matter. "Okay." She offered, gently. "I understand." She added with a soft smile. "I'm only a phone call away." Ana reminded her husband, softly.

"I know." Christian smiled, softly, bringing Ana's hand to his lips to press a light kiss to it.

Ana smiled at the gesture. "But, I _do_ think you should, at least, take Taylor with you." She replied, gently. 

Taylor, who had remained a silent observer, suddenly felt all eyes on him. If he were to be honest with himself, he definitely wanted to go with Christian and Ericka - for a number of reasons. Selfishly, he wanted to spend the extra time with Ericka. And, of course, he was Mr. Grey's head of security. He knew he needed to follow his boss into any unknown situation. Not to mention ... he was more than a little curious to meet his boss's long-lost daughter.

Ericka couldn't help smirking at the way Taylor seemed to squirm under the metaphorical spotlight. "I think that could be arranged." She replied, cheekily, watching her friend with a playful smile.

"Are you sure, Ericka?" Taylor asked, praying that nobody else picked up on the hopeful excitement blooming in his chest. But, he knew how touchy SHIELD was about visitors.

Ericka just gave him one of her devastatingly beautiful smiles and a dismissive wave of her hand. "Being a high-ranking senior agent has its perks." She grinned, mischievously. "Plus, I expected as much so I already made plans accordingly and got you cleared and vetted." The SHIELD agent elaborated, turning back to Christian and Ana. "It's not like it was hard." She clarified. "What with him being a former SHIELD agent and all."

"Great!" Christian declared, with a clap of his hands. "What are we waiting for?" He asked, excitedly.

Rising from her seat, Ericka smiled as she crossed the office, to stand in the doorway. "Mr. Grey." She spoke, with an inviting smile. "If you'll come with me, I will take you to your daughter."


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

**For the Love of a Daughter**

* * *

**Disclaimer:**  
See chapter 1.

 **Rating:**  
M

 **Genre:**  
Family  
Hurt/Comfort  
Angst  
Drama  
Action/Adventure  
Romance

 **Pairings:**  
Christian/Ana  
Taylor/Ericka  
Skye/Coulson

 **Lyrics Used:**  
Boyce Avenue - "On My Way

* * *

The First Meeting

* * *

_I wasn't there the moment | You first learned to breathe | But, I'm on my way I'm on my way | I wasn't there the moment | You got off your knees | But, I'm on my way, on my way_

* * *

The SUV was filled with a heavy, awkward silence. Nobody was sure what to say or if there was even anything _to_ be said so they all opted for silence. Ericka was just over halfway to the SHIELD base when her phone rang through the stereo speakers. Seeing the name _Phil Coulson_ on the display, she answered the call. "Hey, Phil. I got your-" But, she was abruptly cut off when her friend interjected, his voice clearly stressed.

_"Skye's been shot."_ Everybody in the SUV simultaneously felt their blood run cold at those three simple words. Taylor was frozen in a visible state of shock while Christian's face was just blank. His entire body felt numb - paralyzed with shock. A dark silence hung in the air before Ericka finally pushed her own state of shock aside to respond.

"What happened?" The SHIELD agent asked, her voice all business. She knew Phil needed her to keep her composure if he was going to hold it together through the conversation.

There was a silence on the other end of the line before Coulson spoke again. _"We were made. Somehow, our covers were blown … It was chaos, Ericka."_ He began, recounting the tale of how his girl had been shot. Ericka looked at her passengers' faces through the rearview mirror and knew they were both eager for answers.

"Look, Coulson…" Ericka sighed, opting to just rip off the band-aid. "…There's no easy way to say this, so, I'm just gonna come right out and say it." She added, bracing herself for Coulson's reaction. She knew how much Skye meant to him and knew he wouldn't want this added pressure on him, but, he needed to know what was at stake. "…I have Skye's father and his head of security with me. You're on with them. And, I'm sure they would both very much appreciate it if you would just give them abridged version." Ericka spoke, carefully, making sure to keep her own composure for the sake of those around her. Yes, she was worried about the young hacker, but, she couldn't let that worry show. Someone had to stay calm, cool and collected and it sure as hell couldn't be expected of the girl's father.

There was another silence on the other end of the line before they could hear Coulson sigh, heavily. _"…I'm sorry."_ He replied, apologetically. _"…When we were compromised, the team ended up being separated. Skye and Agent Fitz followed the package to Quinn's compound in Malta. Agent Fitz was outside, disabling the getaway vehicles while Skye infiltrated the compound in search of the package. … Quinn shot her in the abdomen at point blank range … Twice."_ Phil reported, regretfully.

"Where have you taken her?" Ericka asked, trying to keep the conversation brief and to the point.

"We just got her to the trauma center in Zurich." Coulson replied. Ericka could tell he was struggling to keep his composure.

"Which one?" Christian asked, from the backseat, already getting ready to make preparations to have his daughter transferred to a better facility.

"Mr. Grey, Skye's with SHIELD." Ericka explained. "That means she's being treated at a SHIELD medical facility. SHIELD only employs top rated physicians within their respective fields." She added, attempting to assuage the billionaire's concerns.

_"She's right, Mr. Grey."_ Coulson confirmed. _"Skye is currently getting the best medical care possible."_

"I sure as hell hope you're both right." Christina muttered, under his breath, as he stopped his preparations; deciding to give the SHIELD physicians the benefit of the doubt.

"I'll notify our pilot to change course." Ericka added, directing her attention to Coulson. "We'll meet you in Switzerland. Keep us updated."

_"I will."_ Coulson replied, ending the call with a soft beep.

Dialing the pilot, Ericka silently waited for a response. _"Agent Scott?"_ Came the greeting. _"Are you en route to the Zephyr?"_ The pilot asked.

"Change of plans, Bennet." Ericka replied. On the outside, she was calm and composed. Though her voice ever so subtly belied the urgency she was feeling, on the inside. "I need you to plot a new course."

_"Where are we going?"_ The pilot asked, as Ericka knew he was already setting to work making the necessary preparations to plot a new course.

"Switzerland." Ericka replied, sharply. "Plot a course to get us to the trauma zentrum in Zurich."

"Agent Scott, is everything okay?" Agent Bennet asked, already putting in the coordinates for the SHIELD airbase nearest the hospital.

Ericka sighed, not really knowing how to answer that question. "I sure as hell hope so." Was her only quiet response. Which, thankfully, the pilot seemed to understand the underlying message.

_"I've put in coordinates for the SHIELD airbase in Zurich."_ Bennet confirmed, knowing well enough to drop the subject. _"We should be there in about fourteen hours."_ The pilot elaborated.

Ericka could see Christian growing more agitated in the backseat and figured it would be best to end the call, there. "Thank you, Agent Bennet." She replied. "We should be there in about thirty minutes." With that, she ended the call and focused her attention on the billionaire in the backseat and braced herself for the reaction she suspected was coming.

" _Fourteen hours_?!" Christian blurted out, impatiently. "Why the fuck was she even sent to a hospital in Switzerland, anyway?!" He demanded, angrily.

"Because she and her team were undercover on assignment in Malta when she was shot." Ericka replied, keeping her calm and professional demeanor in the face of Christian's impatient outburst. Taylor listened to the exchange from the front passenger seat and couldn't help feeling impressed by the decorum showed by Ericka. "Zurich was the closest SHIELD trauma center." She added, clearly unfazed by Christian's anger. "I can assure you, Mr. Grey … She could not be in better hands."

* * *


End file.
